International patent classification

“INTERNATIONAL PATENT CLASSIFICATION” : Overview

Sagar N Patil psagaripr@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

The International Patent Classification (IPC) was created under the Strasbourg Agreement (1971), a treat administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

INTRODUCTION

It is a hierarchical patent classification system used in over 100 countries to classify the content of patents in a uniform manner.

The classification is generally updated on a regular basis by, a Committee of Experts, consisting of representatives of the Contracting States.

The IPC get updated periodically to manage the advances in technologies. The current version is IPC2013.01.

Need of IPC classification

The primary purpose of the Classification, is to facilitate the retrieval of technical subject matter.

A basis for investigating the state of the art in given fields of technology.

Assessment of technological development in various areas.

The content of a patent document, may require more than one classification symbol to be applied.

Structure of an IPC classification

Section/Sub-section

Class

Subclass

Group

Sub-Group

SECTION

Sections are the highest level of hierarchy of the Classification.

Section Symbol – Each section is designated by one of the capital letters A through H

Section Title – The section title is to be considered as a very broad indication of the contents of the section.

Types of sections are

1. A -HUMAN NECESSITIES 2. B -PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING 3. C -CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY 4. D -TEXTILES; PAPER 5. E -FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS 6. F -MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, LIGHTING,

HEATING, WEAPONS, BLASTING7. G -PHYSICS 8. H –ELECTRICITY

SUBSECTION Within sections, informative headings may form

subsections, which are titles without classification symbols.

CLASS

Each section is subdivided into classes which are the second hierarchical level of the Classification

Class Symbol – Each class symbol consists of the section symbol followed by a two-digit number.

Class Title – The class title gives an indication of the content of the class.

Class Index – Some classes have an index which is merely an informative summary giving a broad survey of the content of the class.

CLASS

SUBCLASS

Each class comprises one or more subclasses which are the third hierarchical level of the Classification.

Subclass Symbol – Each subclass symbol consists of the class symbol followed by a capital letter.

Subclass Title – The subclass title indicates as precisely as possible the content of the subclass.

SUBCLASS

SUBCLASS Indexing

GROUP

Each subclass is broken down into subdivisions referred to as “groups”, which are either main groups or subgroups.

Group Symbol – Each group symbol consists of the subclass symbol followed by two numbers separated by an oblique stroke.

Main Group Symbol – Each main group symbol consists of the subclass symbol followed by an one- to three-digit number, the oblique stroke and the number 00.

Main Group Title – The main group title precisely defines a field of subject matter within the scope of its subclass considered to be useful for search purposes.

GROUP

SUBGROUP

Subgroup Symbol – Subgroups form subdivisions under the main groups. Each subgroup symbol consists of the subclass symbol followed by the one- to three-digit number of its main group, the oblique stroke and a number of at least two digits other than 00.

Subgroups are ordered in the scheme as if their numbers were decimals of the number before the oblique stroke.

SUBGROUPS

The subgroup title precisely defines a field of subject matter within the scope of its main group.

The title is preceded by one or more dots indicating the hierarchical position of that subgroup.

The subgroup title is often a complete expression, in which case it begins with a capital letter.

A subgroup title begins with a lower case letter if it reads as a continuation of the title of the next higher, less indented group from which it depends.

In all cases, the subgroup title must be read as being dependent upon, and

restricted by, the titles of the groups under which it is indented.

SUBGROUPS

EXAMPLE: A61K 31 / 01

INTERNATIONAL PATENT CLASSIFICATION Representation

Thank You.

Sagar N Patil psagaripr@gmail.com